Opaque semi-translucent glass.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. MILLER, 0F PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN TS, TO MACBETH-EVAN S GLASSCOMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OPAQUE SEMI-TRANSLUCENT GLASS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JosEPH J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city of Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, andState of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inOpaque Semi-Translucent Glass, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to the production of a new opaquesemitranslucent glass.

It is the object of my invention to produce a semi-opaque,semi-translucentglass by use of a new combination of ingredients fusedupon a plan resulting in a new semiopaque, semi-translucent glass.

The invention consists of a new semiopaque, semi-translucent glass,produced by new ingredients combined in a novel way and fused inaccordance with newly discovered procedure, which if followed, enablesthe color, of the product extent than heretofore. More particularly myinvention consists in the use of a strontium-sulfur-oxygen compound inconnection with a compound of an alkaline metal or earth with fluorinand a highly refractory material fused with the usual ingredients of alead glass batch, substantially in the proportions and in the mannerhereinafter more specifically described.

I have found that by the use of the usual batch for lead glass,consisting substantially of sand, soda and an oxid of lead, preferablyred oxid of lead, with the usual and ordinary fluxes, together withsulfuroxygen compound of one of the alkaline earths, preferablystrontium; a compound of fluorin with a metal or alkaline earth,preferably sodium; and a refractory material melting only at a very hightemperature; a semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass can'be manufacturedwhose general color is white or whitish and without the color or thefire ordinarily present in commercial opal glasses.

I have found in the development of my invention that the use ofcompounds of sulfur and oxygen, with either calcium, strontium, bariumor magnesium, when used in connection with the fluorin-metal,fluorinalkaline compound in said lead batch, have specific effects uponthe color of the re- Specification of Letters Patent.

, gredients permits of texture and other properties to be controlled toa greater sultant glass produced from their admixture and fusion. Thatwhen all of the-ingredients are melted in a closed pot until completefusion takes place, that the stability of the color or opacity and thetranslucency is affected accordin to the sulfuroxygen-strontium and theuorin-metal or alkaline earth compounds used, some of which give betterresults than others. The use of some of these combinations of ingreatercontrol of the batch and the resultant glass made therefrom than others.These results, to a great extent, depend upon whether sulfur and oxygenare used with calcium, strontium, barium or magnesium in combinationwith fluorin combined with an alkaline earth or calcium, sodium, lead,magnesium or other metal or fluorin injected into the glass batch bymeans of the mineral cryolite. The reactions of the sulfur-oxygencompounds are quicker with magnesium and calcium than with strontium andbarium, whose reactions take place as to speed in the order named, thelast being the slowest. The same is true with reference to the fluorincompounds, the reaction is quickest with calcium in combination withfluorin and slower with sodium, and with any other metal withwhichfluorin is combined which can be used for glass making purposes. I havefound that when the melting points of the sulfur-oxygen and fluorincompounds most nearly approach the melting points of the refractorymaterials used, preferably china-clay or alumina, the better theresultant glass will be as to color, texture, fusion and workingqualities when blown or pressed.

I have also found that by the use of a sulfur-oxygen-strontium compoundin connection with a fluorin metal or alkaline earth compound and arefractory material of the character of china clay or alumina, that thecolor or opacity or the translucency of the resultant glass can becontrolled to almost.

-translucent glasses), than when made with a Patented Nov. 6, 1917. AApplication filed November 10, 1913. Serial No. 800,104. I

- tained therein is .82%

fiuorid, but at a percentages are set ing to my invention, giving theingredients.

thereof by weight, is substantially as follows Sand, 100 parts; sodaash, 49 parts; red oxid of lead, 56 parts; feldspar, 120 parts; sodiumfluorid, parts; strontium sulfate 1?; parts; sodium chlorid, 5 parts;alumina, 221} parts; niter, 5 parts; antimony part.

Without departing from the spirit of my invention, the quantities of theingredients as above given may be varied; litharge may be substitutedfor red oxid of lead, with proper adjustment as to oxygen content;calcic fiuorid maybe substituted for sodium disadvantage as to controlof specific effects; any of the alkaline earths may be substituted forstrontium, but at a disadvantage; cryolitemay be substituted for sodiumfluorid; any flux that would perform the functions of sodium chlorid,niter and antimony may in like manner be used with similar results.

After the ingredients, as hereinbefore set forth, have been mixed, theyare placed in a closed pot and heated until a complete fusion has takenplace and when the desired color and opacity has been obtained, as maybe ascertained by trials taken from time to time, the glass is takendown and worked in the ordinary way by blowing or pressing to producethe desired commercial articles therefrom.

The preferred batch set forth heretofore weighs all told 367.25 poundsand contains two aluminum compounds, feldspar (AlKSi O and alumina (A1 0Thepercentage of aluminum in these two compounds is respectively 9.7%and 53%, so that the feldspar contains 11.6 pounds of aluminum and thealumina contains 11.92 pounds of aluminum. The total weight of aluminumis therefore 23.56 pounds, which is 6.41% of the total batch. Thefluorin in the batch is carried by the sodium fiuorid (NaF), thepercentage of fluorin being 45.2% or 3.39 pounds. which is 92% of thetotal batch. The 1.75 pounds of strontium sulfate is equal to 47% of thebatch, and the sulfur contained therein is .08% of the total batch,while the 5 pounds of sodium chlorid is 1.36% of the total batch and thechlorin conof the total batch. The aluminum, fluorin, sulfate andchlorid are the coloring agents and the foregoing forth to indicate moreclearly the relative proportions of these inedients as compared with thetotal batch.

As heretofore set forth other substances aaaaesr containing theopacifying ingredients might be substituted if an adjustment is made tosecure the proper quantity. The amount of the opacifying agents may alsobe varied between considerable limits depending upon the amount of colordesired in the glass.

"What I claim as my invention is 1. A semi-opaquesemi-translucent glassmade by fusing together in a batch a substantially clear glass batchwith aluminum, fiuorin, chlorin and sulfur compounds.

2. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with aluminum and fluorincompounds, a sulfate and a chlorid.

3. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with compounds containingaluminum, fluorin, chlorin and a sulfate, with the aluminum in excess ofthe fiuorin.

t. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with aluminum, fluorin, chlorinand sulfur compounds, the amount of aluminum in the total batch rangingabout 6%, and the fiuorin about 1%.

5. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with aluminum, fiuorin, chlorinand sulfur compounds, the amount of aluminum in the total batch fangingabout 6%, the fluorin about 1%, and the chlorin and sulfur togetherabout 1%.

6. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with aluminum and fluorincompounds, a sulfate and a chlorid, the amount of aluminum in the totalbatch ranging from about 6%, the fluorin about 1%, and the sulfate andsodium chlorid together ranging from about 2%.

7. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with aluminum and fiuorincompounds, and strontium sulfate.

8. A semi-opaque, semi-translucent glass made by fusing together in abatch a substantially clear glass batch with aluminum and fluorincompounds, a chlorid and strontium sulfate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JosErH J. MILLER.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. GALLAHAN, A. M. NEEPER.

